1 Chronicles 20:1 – 8 “The Capture of Rabbah (2 Samuel 12:26-31)
In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it.
David took the crown from the head of their king. It was found to weigh a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.
David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. And he did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.
Battles against the Philistines (2 Samuel 21:15-22)
Some time later, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued. And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha, and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him. So these descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.”
If you thought Goliath was the last of the giants, think again! Anytime you read about the Rephaim or someone from Rapha, you are reading about giants. Recent archaeological digs have revealed giant skeletons, proving that these accounts were accurate and not merely the result of fevered imaginations on the part of the Israelites. The men who defeated these giants were courageous and resourceful, refusing to wimp out when faced with major challenges.
David is still waging war against the Ammonites. Hanun really messed up when he insulted David’s delegation. Had Hanun treated David’s delegation as he should have – merely as a diplomatic visit to be managed judiciously – the kingdom of the Ammonites would have remained intact. But poor stupid Hanun unnecessarily humiliated David’s peaceful delegation, little realizing that David was trying to honor Hanun’s late father Nahash. This major diplomatic blunder eventually resulted in David’s conquest of all the Ammonite cities, with the subjugation of their citizens to forced labor.
What is missing in this account is the tragic story of David and Bathsheba. Despite the fact that it is springtime and time for David to move to the battlefield, he does not. Perhaps David is tired or has become offended by Joab – who knows? What we do know is that David’s failure to move out to head his troops results in disaster. Bored, David is wandering around the top of his palace one night when he spies Bathsheba bathing on her rooftop. Stunned by Bathsheba’s beauty, David refuses to consider that Bathsheba is the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s mighty men. David sends for Bathsheba, impregnates her, and then attempts to cover up his sin by bringing Uriah back in hopes that Uriah will have sex with Bathsheba, so that any pregnancy will be attributed to Uriah. When this ploy fails, David forces Joab to place Uriah in the hottest part of a battle, and Uriah is killed. After Uriah’s death, David takes Bathsheba as his wife.
The Bathsheba incident contaminates everyone involved in it – David, Joab, all the fighting men involved in the conspiracy against Uriah. Bathsheba is likely the most innocent party; after all, what can Bathsheba do when the king sends for her? Bathsheba has little or no choice.
Why hasn’t Ezra included the story of Bathsheba when compiling these chronicles? Certainly, everybody in Jerusalem has known that story for years. Perhaps Ezra is hoping to simply overlook the story of David’s failings while moving on to recount David’s successes.
What eventually happens to the Ammonites? Ezekiel 25 contains God’s Word against the Ammonites. In that chapter, God promises to give the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, making Rabbah a stable for camels and turning all the Ammonite cities into sheepfolds. God promises to cause the Ammonites to perish and “be lost out of the countries” through complete destruction. These events actually took place when invaders from Assyria and Babylon swooped in, destroying the Ammonites. Only recently have archaeological discoveries verified the existence of the Ammonites; for many years, they were thought not to have existed at all.
APPLICATION: How many of us face giants on a daily basis? These days, honest workers may find themselves facing the giants of lies, manipulation, poor workmanship, and corruption on the part of managers. While we are not called upon to kill giants physically with slingshots or spears, we may still face economic destruction and the loss of our reputations. When the energy giant Enron was brought to its knees, the whistle blowers suffered.
The question each of us must face is this: are we working for men or for God? When the pressure mounts, will we continue to stand for the right, or will we cave in? We delude ourselves if we think that all these men who faced giants did so without God’s help; God helped them to defeat physical giants, and God can also help us to defeat spiritual ones. In introducing one of his songs, Ron Kenoly states that “the church today is engaged in a spiritual war and there is no demilitarized zone.” Let us take heart and continue to be faithful, knowing that God is still on the throne and that He will give us the victory. But let us not underestimate the evil we are facing; not all soldiers survive their battles. We must be willing to stand for righteousness, no matter the cost!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are facing giants we hoped to avoid. Help us to remain steadfast and true through Your strength. Give us the determination to stand for righteousness, knowing that You are the One who keeps the records. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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